Residents tipped out on Lyndhurst toxic waste

Residents living near the Lyndhurst tip are livid they have lost their third party appeal rights against a planned soil processing plant.

Waste management operator SITA held a public meeting to discuss recycling methods and plans to designate 3ha of the Taylors Rd landfill site to treat different types of soil.

But residents and action groups were upset to hear their third party appeal rights had been removed.

SITA manager Michael O’Keefe told the meeting he had only recently found out about the loss of appeal rights and that it was due to joint advertising for the EPA Works Approval and Planning Scheme Amendment to rezone the site Industrial.

Lynbrook resident Christine Van Schyndel said she was also upset SITA had not sent the 5000 pamphlets promised to alert residents living within 1km of the site about the meeting.

“I would have thought we should be personally letterboxed. It affects my life and the life of everybody that lives near us,” Ms Van Schyndel said.

SITA state general manager Daniel Fyfe said, “if we didn’t reach you, I do apologise”, but said SITA had advertised the meeting in suburban papers.

Mr Fyfe later told Leader that people still had the chance to make submissions about the facility and would be able to have their say to an independent planning panel.

“There’s more than ample opportunity for people to exercise their right to make a submission and be heard,” he said.

Mr Fyfe also said the plan should not affect property values in the area.

“The one thing that affects property values is fear mongering, if people unnecessarily raise fear and concern, it will drive people to unnecessarily worry,” he said.